Protect You
by CrimsonFlowerz
Summary: Stephano Tuteur is a young traveler who has accidentally gotten himself lost in the forests of Prussia. Seeking shelter, he takes residence in what he thinks is an abandoned castle. The next day, when he tries to leave, the doors are sealed shut and the chase begins. In a world of monsters, there's always a saving light.
1. Protect You

**Protect You**

**Rated:** NR

**Summary:** Stephano Tuteur is a young traveler who has accidentally gotten himself lost in the forests of Prussia. Seeking shelter, he takes residence in what he thinks is an abandoned castle. The next day, when he tries to leave, the doors are sealed shut and the chase begins.

In a world of monsters, there's always a saving light.

* * *

"I really shouldn't have taken that shortcut," the French traveler growled to himself as a breeze blew through the forest, pulling at his clothes and chilling him to the bone. He shivered violently, hugging his arms in an attempt to ward off the cold. Night was slowly setting in the forest, taking the sun's warm rays away and making it almost impossible to see anything. If he wanted to see daylight again, he would have to find shelter and fast.

His name is Stephano Tuteur. He is a French traveler, recently visiting Prussia for its beautiful landscapes. Stephano had set out early that morning for a walk, since he was absolutely in love with Prussia's great forests and wild-life. Since then, he had decided to take a shortcut home he thought he knew, but had gotten terribly lost. Without any food or water to last more than 12 hours, he would surely perish. If only he could find somewhere to stay the night, he might have enough strength and light come morning to find his way out of the forest.

"Hello?" He called out when he thought he heard some footsteps. He hugged his cream-colored tunic closer to him as he wandered closer to the sound. He jumped when a small deer burst out of the bushes and ran off in the opposite direction. Shocked, he just stood still, waiting for his heart rate to slow down. After he recovered from the initial shock, he convinced himself to keep moving. He walked until he pushed through some particularly thick bushes and trees. On the other side was a huge mansion. No, not a mansion; it was a castle. The building itself was kind of crumbling, vines crawling up its sides, and vegetation growing from every space it could. From the state of it, it was probably abandoned. He approached the castle cautiously, looking around the front lawn. When he didn't see or hear any other people, he walked up to the grand, front doors and gave the knocker a harsh pull. The door didn't budge; possibly because these doors were supposed to be opened from the inside. The glint of a broken window caught Stephano's attention and, even though he didn't want to risk getting cut, he had to get into the mansion. If the temperature dropped anymore, he'd surely freeze to death in this outfit. He neared the window, and realizing it was several feet above the ground, looked around for something to get up on to reach. After some rummaging around, he found some movable boxes and stones that he stacked so he could get up on the window's ledge. It was wide and stable enough to stand on, making it easy to just walk through instead of crawling and cutting his legs on the broken glass.

Stephano stepped down from the window-sill and examined the room with the little daylight he had left. It was a bedroom with a single bed, a single wardrobe, a single night-stand, and a chandelier for lighting. The light was off, making the room dark, but not dark enough to be un-navigable. Stephano quickly moved up to the door and clicked it shut. There wasn't a lock, so he pushed a chair up against it. He then shut the thick drapes for the window, effectively keeping out the cold air. Feeling content, he took a granola bar and a bottle of water from a small pouch on the side of his pants, and finished off the last of his supplies. He then slipped into the bed and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

* * *

"Pewdie?" Stephano called out from a dark corner when he spotted a glimpse of blonde hair.

"Stephano?" The Swede called back softly, creeping along the wall in the dark. Stephano stood up suddenly, blocking the blonde from walking any further and causing them to run into each other. Pewdie stumbled back a bit, but recollected easily. Once he saw Stephano, he beamed.

"Steph-!" He started loudly, but the golden man cut him off by clapping his hand over the Swede's mouth.

"Allos, Pewdie. We need to be quiet, or the Bro will hear us," he whispered.

"Oh…" the blonde lowered his voice. "Okay."

The both of them crept into the next room. Across the room a glint of light off of something caught Stephano's eye. It was a key half-hiding under some papers. Pewdie was about to leave the room when Stephano grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled the blonde in front of him.

"Living up to your stereotype, blonde Swede?" Stephano smirked at Pewdie and pushed him towards the desk. Pewdie chuckled lightly, not taking the joke seriously, and approached the desk. He too saw the key and grabbed it. He slipped it into his pocket, but as soon as he did, the Bro growled on the other side of the door. With no place to hide, Stephano pulled out his golden blade.

"I'll distract him, you run Pewdie! You can make it without me!"

"Stephano, no-"

"I swore to protect you, and that's what I'm doing now." The Bro's claws were already splintering the wood of the door. The weakened frame would collapse any second now.

"I won't leave you here!" Pewdie shouted over the smashing of the door.

"You dumbass, this is no time to be a hero!" Stephano growled. "You'll just get in the way!"

At that precise moment, the Bro broke down the door, growling and snorting. His eyes locked on Pewdie, but Stephano jumped in front of the thing and brought his golden blade down on its shoulder. The thing cried out in surprise and Stephano screamed:

"Run Pewdie, RUN!"

The blonde didn't need any-more motivation and darted out the door as fast as he could. Stephano blocked the entrance, preventing the Bro from following Pewdie.

"Want him? You'll have to get through me first!"

The monster roared and ran at the golden man. Stephano braced himself…

* * *

Stephano jerked awake, feeling a bit nauseous. At first, it was so dark he couldn't see and therefore didn't remember where he was. After a bit of rubbing his eyes and adjusting to pitch blackness, he was finally able to navigate the room enough to get to the window; but when he dragged the drapes open, he found that the window was in mint condition, not a scratch on it. He blinked in horrified surprise, wishing, no praying, it was a trick. Then, to his horror, he heard a rustling behind him. He spun around on his heels to see what it was. Whatever it was, it was frightened by him; since he heard a shrill shriek and the chair that used to be blockading the door was wobbling a bit right in front of him. He muttered something incoherent and placed the chair back by its desk. He then returned to the window and knocked on it. It seemed to be really thick glass, how could it have been fixed so quickly?

The rustling came back and this time, Stephano just peeked over his shoulder so he didn't scare whatever it was. His eyes widened when he saw another man behind him. The man was smaller than him and looked much weaker, but it was definitely a man. The man was wearing a long-sleeved white dress shirt, a green vest, and a matching hat. He had black-rimmed glasses, dress pants, and shoes. Over-all, he looked quite classy.

Using his superior speed and strength, Stephano easily maneuvered in a way so he could grab the man's wrists. The man squeaked like a mouse. Suddenly, a soft popping sound was heard and the man poofed into an elegant, green-cushioned chair. Stephano dropped the chair in shock.

"W-what?!" he shouted. Frantic, he kicked the chair away, not taking his eyes away from it. After a few moments, the same poofing noise was heard, and the chair morphed into the classy person once more.

"Who-…?" Stephano began, but trailed off. He was too shocked to form a complete sentence. He just witness something that should have been impossible!

"My name is Mr. Chair," the odd creature/man thing said. He was crouched over cautiously, both his hands in front of him in defense. "I live here, in the mansion. I heard you come in last night; I felt you move me. I wouldn't do much good as a blockade though. The evil that resides in this house is unstoppable."

"…" Stephano blinked again, looking extremely confused. "First of all, your name is _Mr. Chair_?"

The shy man nodded in response, looking more nervous than before.

"Second of all, you can turn into a chair. What for?"

"To hide from the monster…" Mr. Chair explained, wringing his hands. "He only comes after you if you are a living thing. If you disguise yourself as an inanimate object, he won't think of you as a target."

Stephano furrowed his eyebrows. "How do I get out of here?"

"Well… you don't"

The air in the room thickened as Mr. Chair swallowed.

"I… don't."

**((Author Note:** Is this a bad place to end the chapter? Anyway, I hope you like it so far! :)** ))**


	2. Find Me

**Protect You – Chapter 2: Find Me**

**Rated:** T

**Summary:** Stephano Tuteur is a young traveler who has accidentally gotten himself lost in the forests of Prussia. Seeking shelter, he takes residence in what he thinks is an abandoned castle. The next day, when he tries to leave, the doors are sealed shut and the chase begins.

In a world of monsters, there's always a saving light.

* * *

"I must be able to get out of this place. I don't have any supplies left. Without food I'll perish." Stephano growled softly. Mr. Chair blinked sadly and rubbed his shoulder.

"I've never seen anyone leave here. They always get tricked by the magic of the castle…" he muttered, just barely auditable. "That broken window, that was a trap to get you inside… the monster that lives here, needs human flesh to survive. If it does not feed, it will die, and the castle will lose its magic and crumble."

Stephano shook his head in disbelief and prepared his things to leave. Once he had all his belongings, he opened the bedroom door. A dusty wind seemed to blow from no-where down the connected hall. Stephano sneezed.

"Can't this so called 'magic' at least keep the place clean?" he complained angrily. Mr. Chair silently followed behind, shrugging at the rhetorical question.

They continued down the hallway for a few minutes before they came to a set of doors directly across from each other. A dusty old window was placed next to the door on Stephano's left, making it easy to see the blood stains on the opposing wall. A chill ran down the blonde-man's spine at the sight, but he remained virtually un-affected and reached for the door to his left. He turned the knob and pushed open the door with a loud creak. Behind him, Mr. Chair winced at the noise, looking ahead of them and behind them to see if anything heard.

"Mister…"

"Call me Stephano."

"Stephano, you must be careful. If the monster hears…"

"Mr. Chair," Stephano started, turning around to look directly at the smaller man. "I understand you're scared, but I don't have time to be careful. I have a place to be and that's not waiting around here to become some creatures lunch."

The blonde man then turned back around and entered the room. Mr. Chair followed glumly.

The room appeared to be a study. Bookshelves packed with books and papers took up every space of available wall. A desk and chair where squeezed up against the wall under the rooms only window. Stephano let his eyes adjust to the slightly brighter room and began his looting spree. He upturned every little thing in the room. Books were ripped apart on the ground and drawers were pulled all the way out of their places; their contents spilled like blood on the pavement. The French man scoured every inch of the place and then did a double check. There was nothing there he could use. No lantern, no matches, and no oil; no magic fairy dust or stupid wand carved out of wood. In a fit of frustration, he stormed out of the room, knocking over Mr. Chair on the way out.

"H-hey…" Mr. Chair whispered his complaint. Unfortunately, Stephano didn't hear him; and instead went onto the next room.

After a little more than an hour searching through rooms, Stephano finally stumbled upon the main entrance. It was a wide, lobby-like area complete with several chandeliers far above their heads and two grand staircases. This part of the castle looked a bit faded, but other than that [and the dust], it looked habitable. Stephano looked at the entrance doors he saw from the outside the previous day and furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"Mr. Chair," he turned to look at the brunette's face. "What else does the magic in this castle do?"

Mr. Chair looked a bit startled by the question. He pushed his glasses higher up on the bridge of his nose and nodded absently.

"W-well, the magic is used to confuse prey into giving up on leaving. So sometimes it can switch up hallways, add and remove doors, and delete and expand space. It can only do this on the inside though, and the added space is always just a copy of some other room, since it can't create anything new."

Stephano nodded to clarify his comprehension. He looked at the staircase on the right and then the one of the left. Mr. Chair shifted from one foot to the other behind him anxiously. He seemed to want to get Stephano's attention, but he was too shy to.

"Mr. Chair… which staircase should I take?" The blonde asked, looking indecisive. "If I follow the right staircase, I'll enter the door on the right and vice versa for the left…"

He looked at the shy man with a confused expression, since he hadn't spoken up. Mr. Chair was staring down the hallway they came from. Once Stephano quit talking, a deadly silence fell over the lobby. After a few moments of tense stillness; both men heard a growl-like moan from way down the hallway they came. Mr. Chair's shoulders raised and his whole body stiffened.

"Oh no you don't-" Stephano went to grab Mr. Chair; but as he did, that all-too-familiar poofing noise sounds and Mr. Chair is suddenly an elegant, green-cushioned chair. Stephano cursed under his breath and hurried as quietly as possible up the right staircase.

The growling was nearing quickly; much faster than he would have expected. The French man hurried into a closet, keeping the door open just a crack so he could see this 'monster' Mr. Chair spoke of.

The growling grew louder and louder until it echoed off the walls of the lobby. Since the door was a door that pulled open, Stephano's vision was mostly blocked. He could just barely see Mr. Chair as the green chair on the edge of his vision in the center of the room. The chair wobbled a bit, making something tighten in his chest. He didn't know why, but he had a sudden urge to dart out and grab Mr. Chair.

The chair wobbled some-more, making Stephano fret a bit; until something picked it up and threw it across the lobby. The chair shattered on the opposite wall with a deafening crack. Stephano's chest tightened to the point where it was difficult to breathe. He didn't want to see the monster anymore. He didn't want to be there anymore; in that nightmare.

The blonde pushed himself into the very back of the closet, completely concealed in shadow. His body shook in frustration. Was Mr. Chair dead? He had no way of knowing, but worse yet… Stephano no longer had a guide. He was alone now.

Completely alone.

* * *

"Allos, Pewdie." Stephano greeted the Swede. Pewdie immediately latched onto his friend as soon as he saw him. Stephano hugged back; over-whelmingly happy to see him again.

"I thought you were dead!" Pewdie cried angrily, hitting the French man's chest with his fist lightly.

"I thought I was done for too…" Stephano smiled sheepishly, "but it turned out to be a poofer. I think they were simply trying to scare us away, Pewdie."

"Are you hurt? Did he hurt you?" Pewdie demanded to know. Stephano rubbed his shoulder.

"As I said before, Pewdie… It was merely a poofer. He caused me no harm."

Pewdie looked skeptical, but he let it go for now.

"Where do we go now?"

"This is the key to the Choir…" Stephano explained. His expression darkened. "Pewdie… the Choir is really dangerous."

Pewdie put his hand on Stephano's shoulder and smiled.

"I think I can handle it."

The two of them made their way down some stairs, past Agrippa [who was still talking], and down the hall to the Choir door.

Pewdie held out his hand for the key.

"Gimme the key, Stephano," the Swede said, beckoning with his fingers.

Stephano stared at the man's hand and shook his head.

"I don't want you to go in there."

There was a thick silence between them suddenly. Not even Agrippa's droning voice could be heard in the background, just… silence. Their eyes did not meet, their hands stayed at their sides, and neither of them said a word.

"You do realize I need to leave… right?"

The sentence stung. Stephano hadn't really considered the fact that he'd be alone when all this was over. Just like a dream, Pewdie would be gone and he would be alone again… like nothing ever happened to begin with. It was an endless cycle of loathing and death; longing and betrayal. When Pewdie was gone, another person would come along and play the game of life or death. All Stephano wanted was for the violence to be over. All he wanted was for something to shed light in the all-consuming darkness.

And he had found that light… in Pewdie.

"I don't want you to leave… not without me…"

"Then I promise." Pewdie spoke up, a determined look in his eye.

Stephano shifted his golden eyes to his Swedish friend.

"Promise what?"

"I promise I'll take you with me when we finally get to leaving this horrid place!"

* * *

Stephano awoke with a start. Everything was pitch black around him, and when he lifted his hands to his face, he realized he'd been crying. Had he cried himself to sleep?

He must've fallen asleep waiting for the monster to leave the lobby. He almost didn't remember what he'd been crying about when it suddenly hit him.

"Mr. Chair!" Stephano yelped, jumping out of the closet and right into something. That something made an 'oof' noise when Stephano knocked into it and they both fell to the ground. Stephano scrambled to his feet almost immediately and glared down at the thing that had been in his way.

On the floor in front of him was a skinny man. He had a white, ragged dress-shirt on that was unbuttoned; a pair of tight-fitting black pants with holes in the knees, and two pink pig ears sprouted from the mess of equally pink hair. He scratched the side of his face and then the back of his head.

"Who're you? Where's Mr. Chair?" The man asked, his tone a little stressed. "I heard something break…"

Stephano's chest tightened all of a sudden and he remembered why he jumped out of the closet in the first place. His eyes darted to the far wall where Mr. Chair was thrown, but to his surprise, there were no chair pieces there anymore. The pink-haired man got up slowly, examining Stephano head to toe.

"I'm Piggy."

"Let me guess," Stephano drawled in his French accent, "you can shift into a pig for defense?"

"Yeah…" Piggy grinned, "You like it when people turn into in-animate objects for defensive purposes?"

"Wait…" Stephano scowled, "pigs are alive."

"I transform into a dead pig…"

"…ew."

"I know, it's cool, isn't it?" Piggy wiggled his eyebrows, which were also pink by the way. "You like it, don't you blondie?"

"Don't call me that…"

_"Guys!"_

The sudden shout attracted both of the men's attention to the bottom of the left staircase. Standing there was Mr. Chair; definitely not smashed into pieces.

Piggy and Stephano both rushed downstairs to join the other.

"I thought you were dead…" Stephano breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh, sorry!" Mr. Chair squeaked. "When I'm in chair-mode, I can switch my spirit to another chair when my chair is about to be smashed."

"That's handy." Piggy commented, smirking.

"It's a bit frustrating, though… since I could end up anywhere within a mile radius."

Stephano blinked in thought. That would be frustrating… especially in this castle.

"Everyone is okay, then?" Mr. Chair asked kindly.

Piggy and Stephano nodded, but then motioned to one another.

"Oh, Piggy, that's Stephano. He's the human that came in yesterday."

Piggy nodded.

"That's Piggy, but I guess you already knew that."

The blonde nodded slowly.

"We're missing a part of the crew, though…" Piggy stated after a moment of awkward silence.

"And who's that?" Stephano asked, shifting his golden gaze to the pink-haired man.

"That would be the Golden Statue Man."

**((Author's Note: I'm sorry but I'm gonna end this chapter here, bros. There'll hopefully be more soon!))**


End file.
